


The Lingering Taste of Lemon and Coffee

by Storiesofstars



Category: ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside (Video Game)
Genre: Dessert & Sweets, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, between anime and game canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23973256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storiesofstars/pseuds/Storiesofstars
Summary: When Wataru gets a text from Ren about getting together next Friday, saying he has a surprise for him, he could say he was already surprised.He just doesn't realize how much bigger of a surprise he's in for.
Relationships: Matoba Wataru/Nanahoshi Ren, Nanahoshi Ren/Matoba Wataru
Comments: 15
Kudos: 63





	The Lingering Taste of Lemon and Coffee

"Wataru!"

Waiting at the edge of their university campus, that small bout of excitement all too familiar to Matoba Wataru was waving at him, smiling warmly. His hair was as messy as ever- he didn't think Ren would ever be able to tame it- and it bounced ever so slightly as he walked up to him.

"I'm really glad you could make it," Ren said happily.

"It was no trouble, I didn't have anything planned. So, what's the big surprise?" Wataru asked as they began walking, Ren leading the way.

"Well, do you remember that dessert cafe that opened up a few months ago? The one that gets super busy?"

"Hm... oh! The one with the owner who came from Paris right?"

"Uh-huh!"

Wataru thought back to the displays in the window, how you could see right into the kitchen and watch as it's Pâtissiers created the most delicate of French pastries he'd ever laid eyes on; though to be fair he hadn't seen many French pastries before, but surely with a line out the door and looping around the sidewalk they had to be good.

"What about it?"

"Well, uh... remember how you were kinda disappointed we couldn't get anything from there? They were booked up solid for months, and sold out by the time classes let out..."

Kinda disappointed was an understatement. He didn't need the reminder of the heartache from each visit where he'd find they'd closed up early.

"...you guys should've let me go at least once."

Ren laughed. "I guess sweets are the only thing that'll make you go against your better judgment."

"They're authentic French pastries!"

"And Rio and Banri still wouldn't let you skip your classes, even after you told them."

"Look, that guy wouldn't like any kind of sweets, authentic, French, or otherwise. And Banri was worried I'd blow my entire budget for the month."

"That's true- wait, would you have?"

"Not the point. So, why are you bringing this up?"

"It's because- oh! We're here!"

Wataru looked up and faltered.

"Wait- this is-"

"Yeah, I made a reservation! I wanted to make it with everyone, but they all kept insisting I should just go with you. I... I hope that's alright?"

Wataru made a note to kick Yuuto and Banri's asses later. And probably Rio too, but he had a feeling this was mainly those two's idea. So he let it slip one practice when Ren was out with the flu that he maybe kinda sorta thought he was cute- but only because it was objectively true! He'd puppy-dog-eyed his way into getting Lappi dozens of times, his smile was always genuine, and the way his eyes sparkled when his determination took ahold of him was a sight to behold, awe-inspiring even! But noooo, the other guys didn't take it like that and began pestering him to ask him out for months on end. And yet, Ren was somehow clueless about the whole thing.

"...Wataru?"

"Eh? Oh, no, that's fine. Honestly, I'm just surprised you managed to get a reservation at all. I'm impressed."

"Well, Rio came with me to help me out. Turns out the owner and his dad are fans of each other, so he was able to get us a really good spot for today."

Wataru sighed. "There he goes again, being a genius as always."

Ren laughed again.

_So cute..._

"...um, can we-?" Ren looked towards the door, unsure whether or not he should begin to move their conversation inside. It was a bit awkward to stand right outside the door- but he didn't want to rush Wataru!

"Oh! Yeah, of course." 

Again, to his surprise, Ren was the one holding the door open for him.

"A-after you, Wataru."

"O-oh, thank you."

His heart may or may not have just skipped a beat.

Once they were inside the smell of warm butter and chocolate filled their noses, and they were transported all the way to a trendy city halfway across the world. The decor kept with its Paris roots, and everything was floral and delicate, but classy and refined. Not an everyday spot for two college boys, but that was the last thing on their minds.

"H-hello, I have a reservation for 2 at 15:30 for Nanahoshi."

"15:30 for Nanahoshi... Ah yes. Your table is ready, please follow me."

Ren looked back at Wataru, eyes shining and beaming with pride. He must've been nervous. Wataru returned with a warm smile and a nod of approval. They were led to a nice table near the back of the cafe, a large window beside the table with the view of a small garden in the back, blooming with life as the afternoon August sun beamed down softly. 

As they were seated and brought a glass of cool water each, they began to look through the menu. The cafe also served lunch, but Wataru flipped to the end, finding 3 pages of decadent desserts to read through with pictures to match their most popular selections. He found he was enjoying himself a little too much, considering they hadn't even ordered yet. A small giggle caught his attention.

"Hm?" He looked up to see Ren's face slightly hidden behind his menu, but he could tell he was smiling.

"Something wrong, Ren?"

"O-oh, no not at all! I just thought... you look like you're having fun. I'm glad."

He felt his shoulders relax. "Oh. Heh, yeah, I am."

"Also... you're drooling a bit."

"Eh-"

He immediately brought his hand to his mouth. Ren laughed, a little louder this time. Despite how embarrassed he felt, his heart felt even warmer than his face. He was so glad Ren was also enjoying himself.

* * *

After they both ordered something to drink to start, they began to talk about their lives, the band, how Wataru's lyrics were coming along for their new song, even the newest episode of Star Five Ren was currently obsessed with.

"And he jumped straight off the deck of the enemy ship, free-falling for at least a minute! It was awesome!!"

Wataru laughed fondly. "Did he now?"

"Mmh!"

He still didn't quite get what was going on in these kinds of shows, but seeing Ren so happy made him happy, so he didn't mind too much that he didn't understand how a pirate spaceship was able to transcend through dimensions using a panel consisting of 2 buttons. 

He took a sip of his coffee, then smiled, looking at his reflection.

"Wataru? Is something funny?"

"Mmh, just remembering the first time you tried 'Morning coffee', I can still see your expression clear as day."

Ren laughed bashfully. "Ahaha, yeah... I wasn't expecting that taste at all. But it's been a while since I tried it, maybe I'll like it now..."

"Wanna try again?"

Wataru slid his cup over to the other side of the table. As he watched Ren pick it up, his mind wandered back to the days when Argonavis hadn't been fully formed yet, when "Argonavis" didn't even exist as a concept. But so many exciting and terrifying things had happened since then, and now the 5 of them were on their way to becoming pros, with LRFes waiting for them. He couldn't help but feel sentimental, and grateful, for that day they met Ren in the karaoke place, Yuuto dragging him down the hall in a hurry only to be met with a voice that just... clicked. He remembered feeling a wave of inspiration wash over him, thousands of ideas for lyrics bouncing around in his head, the urge to find a scrap of paper or to pull out his phone and write them all down-

"Wataru?"

"Eh?"

He looked down to see his cup was pushed back to him.

"Oh, you tried it. Sorry, I was caught up in my own thoughts."

"I thought so, you had a distant look in your eyes. What were you thinking about?"

"...the day we met. And the days after that."

"Ahh... it feels like so long ago, so much has happened since then."

"Right? But now the 5 of us are on our way towards something grand, towards a future no one can begin to imagine, something incredible. And I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else, Ren."

A slight flush tinted Ren's cheeks. It took a moment before Wataru realized what he said.

"Ah-! And everyone else too, I wouldn't want to do this with any other band- I-"

"O-oh, yeah, of course. I wouldn't either..."

Was it just him, or did Ren seem a tad bit disappointed?

He cleared his throat. "A-anyways... oh, how did you like the coffee? Any better or worse since last time?"

"Mm... slightly better, I think. I didn't taste as much lemon, so it wasn't as harsh."

"I see. I thought the same thing, they probably use different measurements here than at Submariner."

"Yeah..."

Things fell silent between the two as Ren began tracing his finger along the side of the binding of the drink menu he picked up from the middle of the table. Meanwhile, Wataru was back in his own head again. 

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA am I an idiot??? Did I really just say that out loud???? Why did I say it like that anyway when I was thinking about the band???? Does Ren have the wrong idea- does he think I- cause I don't! I could never- but he seemed like he wanted- AAAAAAA WHAT AM I THINKING THERE'S NO WAY REN WOULD- but if he did- STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT!!!!!!_

Ren's eyes flickered up for a moment to see Wataru looking slightly distressed. He could almost see the steam pouring out of his ears. What was he thinking about this time? He looked back at the drink menu. 

'Morning Coffee, ¥400'

... he resisted the urge to touch his lips.

* * *

Soon their first desserts were brought, and the awkward tension from earlier had dissipated. They began trying what the other had got, and soon their table was full of plates topped with pastries and cakes and sweets of all shapes sizes and flavours (most of them being Wataru's). 

He took a forkful of the strawberry cheesecake that he'd been eyeing since he saw the picture on the menu, and brought it to his mouth. It was just as sweet and fresh as he hoped it would be. 

"You really like strawberries, don't you?"

"I guess you could say that. I mean, I like all kinds of fruits, but there's just something special about biting into a ripe strawberry, the slight tartness combining with the sweetness, the juiciness, its unmatched in my opinion."

Ren laughed softly. 

_Ren sure is laughing a lot today._

"Wanna try it? It's probably the best thing I've had so far."

"Mmh!"

Wataru went in to get another forkful, then stopped himself. Why was he getting more if he was offering it to Ren? Wait. Did he almost subconsciously try to feed him??

Heat rushed to his face as Ren took his own fork and reached across the table to try the cheesecake. He pondered for a moment before smiling. "You're right, this is really good!"

"Ah... I-I'm glad to hear it."

Ren cocked his head. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good. I'm good..."

_What is with me today??_

* * *

"Eh? Ren, there's no way I can let you pay for all that!"

"Don't worry, I planned to pay for everything today. It's my treat!"

"But-"

He sighed in defeat as he watched Ren hand over the money to the cashier. If he'd known Ren was paying he would've gotten way fewer desserts.

"Thank you very much! Please come again."

"Thank you!"

The two of them left the cafe and began walking down the street, a hand's width apart. It was starting to cool down, the sun setting and a light breeze picking up. The end of August seemed like such a lonely time, with vacation ending and the semester ready to start back up. Only instead, they'd be going to Tokyo to continue their studies. It was a whole new change headed their way.

"Hey... are you going to miss Hakodate?" Wataru asked.

"Eh? Well... yeah, I am. This is where I grew up, everything I've known since I was little. And now we're moving. I mean- they don't have Lappi down in Tokyo, do they?? What am I going to do?"

Wataru burst out laughing. 

"Ahahaha, I should have figured! You really do like Lappi don't you?"

"Mmh, I love it!!"

Both felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

"What about you Wataru? I know this isn't exactly your home, but..."

Wataru looked at the sky, pink and yellow mixing in the clouds.

"Hm... I'm not sure. It's true that I only just moved here for school, but... I guess in a way it already feels like home. I think that's thanks to Argonavis. In that sense, I think I'll miss it."

"I see."

They kept walking, silence settling in for a while before they reached the point to go their separate ways.

"Ah, looks like this is my stop. Today was really nice. Thank you, Ren."

Ren nodded. "Mmh, I had a lot of fun."

"And next time I'm treating, there's no way I can let you pay for all my desserts again."

Ren blushed. "Next time?"

Wataru faltered. "I- I mean, if you wanna hang out again- like this I mean, I've got the next one."

"Ah... okay."

There was that slight disappointment again.

They both waved goodbye, and Wataru turned to wait for the next bus while Ren continued walking.

At least he thought Ren had continued walking.

He checked his phone, then read the schedule on the post beside him, seeing the next bus arriving in about 2 minutes. He began thinking about packing, and maybe digging through some of his old notebooks for lyric inspiration. Dinner popped into his mind, but he was so full he decided maybe just some cup ramen would be enough.

"Wataru!"

He didn't get a chance to look over before feeling something soft and warm pressed against his cheek.

_Huh?_

That feeling left, and he turned swiftly to see Ren, looking at his shoes, noticeably blushing.

_Wait._

_Did._

_Ren._

_Just._

"Uh- I, um- goodbye!"

He turned to run, but didn't manage to get far before feeling the pull of a hand on his arm. 

"Ah-!"

"Ren hold on!"

"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that, I-"

"Ren, please calm down. I'm not angry."

"You're... not?"

"No."

A tense silence drifted between them, Wataru still holding tight to Ren's arm like his life depended on it. He steadied himself, knowing exactly what happened, but was going to ask anyway.

"...Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you... did you kiss me?"

Ren, refusing to look back, nodded hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Ah."

A moment of pause lingered before he got to the question he truly wanted to ask.

"...why?"

"Because... because... it was all I could think of."

"Think of?"

"I..." he sighed, "I really like you, Wataru."

Those words, they were like an arrow to his heart, and yet oh so delicate to the ears.

"I wanted... I wanted to take you out today... like a date... it was Yuuto's idea, he found out a couple of weeks ago, and Rio and Banri decided to, well, help me too. I worked some extra part-time jobs just to save up for this, and Rio- well, you know already. I've been wanting to tell you all day, but I... I just didn't know how to. I was scared. I'm sorry..."

And just like the very first day they met, something inside Wataru's head just

Clicked.

"Ren."

"Wataru I-"

He gently pulled at Ren's arm, forcing him to look back at what he could only imagine was his face flushed red beyond belief, paired with the goofiest grin that'd ever graced his lips.

Ren was struck with a wave of intense adoration.

"You really are something else."

His voice cracked, getting a giggle out of Ren. 

"Excuse me, are either of you getting on?"

An unknown voice took both of them out of their dream world back to reality, where a middle-aged bus driver was waiting for them to get on the bus.

"Ah-" he looked to the driver, then back to Ren. 

"Sorry, I won't be getting on!”

"Alright..."

As the bus departed, Ren looked back to Wataru.

"Wataru?"

"Yes?"

"Does... this mean you like me too?"

Oh, how such an innocent question could tug at his heart so much!

He smiled fondly, his hand making its way up to Ren's cheek.

"Yeah. I like you too."

Ren's eyes widened. Wataru suddenly felt breathless.

"I think... I think I've been denying it for so long because I was sure you- I didn't think you felt the same way. But now, all these feelings are bursting forth, it's honestly a little scary. But also really exciting."

"Mmh, I think I understand how you feel."

His thumb caressed the apple of his rosy cheek softly, tenderness, and love in each little movement.

"Wataru?"

"Yeah?"

"I- I want you to kiss me."

"Eh?!"

"And... I want it to be a real kiss! Not like mine from earlier. ...Please?"

His figurative heart shot through his chest and into the sky. Ren... he forgot how bold he could be, especially when it came to the things he wanted. So... Ren wanted him. He'd wanted him all this time.

Placing his other hand around Ren's waist, he slowly brought him closer until there was no space between their lips, kissing him softly. The sweetness of their desserts mingled together into one as Wataru deepened the kiss, with the lingering taste of lemon and coffee on Ren's tongue. Ren wrapped his arms around Wataru's neck, pulling himself closer.

The two of them, alone at a bus stop, in the middle of the town where they had met by a fated encounter.

And they wouldn't want to do this with anyone else. 

**Author's Note:**

> MY VERY FIRST ARGONAVIS FIC (and like, an actual fic and not a 30 tweet thread LOL)
> 
> Ironically enough one of those long-ass threads I wrote last year is the very reason I ship these two as much as I do. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this fic! 
> 
> (also please forgive me with my shitty description of what I think a sentai show would be like I got lazy askjdgsdlhg)


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